Gauthier Delomez 16:45 pm, March 23, 2023

As Ramadan began on Thursday, Muslim football players who play in the English leagues will be able to break their fast briefly during the next evening matches. A request made to officials, invited to find moments of "natural break" during meetings.

It is a special attention paid to Muslim footballers. To help them exercise their profession during Ramadan, which began on Thursday and takes place for a month, English football officials will allow players respecting this sacred period to briefly break their fast. This will apply to all English leagues, including the Premier League, and for evening matches, reports RMC.

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Specifically, according to information from Sky Sports, the country's refereeing bodies are asking match officials to open a "natural break" in the game, and to offer players to take drinks or energy gels, or supplements.

A precedent in 2021

Officials are also encouraged by arbitration bodies to identify professionals who might follow this religious tradition, and to schedule a time with them to break the fast. This is what happened in 2021, says the English media, during a meeting between Leicester City and Crystal Palace in the Premier League. The two clubs had agreed with the referee to stop the match around the half-hour mark, and some players such as Frenchman Wesley Fofana were able to benefit from a break.

This year, Ramadan will take place over seven days of English championship. It will concern stars such as Liverpool's Egyptian Mohamed Salah, Manchester City's Algerian Riyad Mahrez or Chelsea's Frenchman, N'Golo Kanté. In France, the Professional Football League did not set up a specific protocol for Muslim football players.